Libya's High Council of State welcomes ceasefire call

TRIPOLI, Libya

Libya's High Council of State welcomed late Wednesday a ceasefire call by Turkey and Russia.

“The statements by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the Libyan crisis and attack against the capital are welcomed by the High Council,” it said in a statement.

The High Council of State, which advises the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), said it will support all kinds of initiatives that address the welfare of Libyans and are aimed at ending the war.

The statement also noted that any call for dialogue should remain tied to the Libyan Political Agreement signed in the city of Skhirat in Morocco.

Since the ouster of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: one in eastern Libya supported mainly by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates and the other in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition.

Last April, Haftar's forces launched a military campaign to capture Tripoli from the internationally recognized government.

On Dec. 12, Haftar announced that he had ordered his militants to launch a "decisive battle" to capture the city.

*Writing by Davut Demircan